Premium Matcha Importer and fellow Japanophile Erin Lindwall is an Australian who, like me, has a deep affinity with Japan. She is also a self-confessed Matcha addict. Matcha is finely ground green tea, grown in the shade which makes it vibrant green in colour. It was historically served in Japanese Tea Ceremony (Cha No Yu in … Continue reading In Conversation with Erin Lindwall
Hibiki, in Camberwell, is a little slice of Tokyo cool in the suburbs of Melbourne. It is one of our favourite go-to places when we want to eat something really scrumptious. Their breakfast is particularly delicious. However, any time of day is a good time to eat at Hibiki. The menu and atmosphere change at … Continue reading Tokyo Chic Konbini, Melbourne
Spending time with a bunch of like-minded people is always lots of fun. Especially when your shared passion is Japan in general and sake in particular. Sitting with a lovely group of people talking sake, in a room full of people who love sake, being plied with sake by a couple of guys who really, … Continue reading Tanuki Pop-Up with Melbourne Sake
Last night Super Sake Boy and I had the most mystical experience in a Japanese garden, in another realm. It was an exciting and interactive experience which felt like we had been transported into a real-life RPG (role play game) or a Studio Ghibli movie. Imagine playing a video game, where you have missions, on … Continue reading Ukiyo, a mystical story experience.
Yokoso, ようこそ, means "welcome" in Japanese. The Sunday before last, the 17th January, we enjoyed being welcomed to "Japan in Melbourne". The City of Yarra, through a grant scheme, had enabled a group of Japanese restaurants, musicians, dancers and market stall holders, (and Dylan, from Chotto Motto's mum) to create an excellent opportunity for Melbournians … Continue reading Yokoso – Welcome to Japan in Melbourne?
It has been nearly a year since COVID put a big, fat STOP sign on nearly all international travel. Being obsessed Japanophiles, Super Sake Boy and I have tried to take the travel ban graciously, while feeding our need for Japanese food, sake, culture and connection with the language. We were last in Japan in … Continue reading The Enduring Exploits of Super Sake Boy and Nihonshu Girl
Walking through the door at Chotto Motto is like stepping through a time tunnel. An incredible space that looks like it is straight out of Tokyo in the Showa Era, maybe circa 1975? There is Ultra-man, Godzilla and retro pop-culture everywhere you look. So many Peko-chan and Anpanman, a haven for lovers of Japanese collectables. … Continue reading Chotto Motto, a little more…..
Earlier this year, a wonderful little bar opened near the top end of Gertrude Street in Fitzroy. Dark and mysterious, but cleverly illuminated with a welcoming glow from inside, Tamura Sake Bar has all the wonderful things a sake bar in Japan has, namely great sake, great food and wonderfully generous hospitality, here in Melbourne. … Continue reading Tamura Sake Bar- A Haven in Fitzroy
The week before last, Super Sake Boy and I went to the opening of Reiwa, Shohei Otomo’s exhibition on at SHDW Gallery at 112 Flinders Lane, in Melbourne. The opening was accompanied by the launch of a beer that Shohei-san had collaborated on with our friend Tomoya‘a restaurant, Chotto Motto, in Collingwood and Temple Brewing … Continue reading Shohei Otomo…incredible ink ability
When I looked up Hibiki in my Japanese translator the translation was sound, but more accurately echo or reverberation. I am not sure if that is what the owners of Hibiki in Melbourne were alluding to, but as soon as I read it, it resonated. Sitting in this little cafe in Toorak Rd in Camberwell, … Continue reading Hibiki…..Echoes of Tokyo in Camberwell
